The present invention relates generally to a transportable banquet cart that stores plates of food and includes a heat retention material that keeps the food in the banquet cart warm prior to serving.
Banquet carts are employed in hotels, restaurants, and convention centers to keep plates of prepared food warm prior to serving at dinners, parties or receptions. The food is prepared in a kitchen area and served on plates. The plates are then covered with a lid or cover and stacked on shelves in the banquet cart. Banquet carts usually hold between 40 to 200 plates of food.
An electric convection heater in the banquet cart preheats the banquet cart before the plates of food are stacked on the shelves. The heater is plugged into an electrical outlet in the kitchen and heats the banquet cart to approximately 180–200° F. After the banquet cart is loaded with plates of food, the heater is unplugged, and the banquet cart is transported to a hallway outside of a dining area where the food is served to guests. The banquet cart includes wheels, allowing the banquet cart to be transported.
Electric power is usually not available in the hallway outside the dining area. During transport of the banquet cart to the hallway and while the banquet cart is stored in the hallway prior to serving of the plates of food to guests, the plates of food are usually warmed by canned heat, such as Sterno. The canned heat is ignited and usually positioned on the bottom shelf of the banquet cart or in a drawer. Between two to four cans of canned heat are usually employed to maintain the temperature of the food in the banquet cart at serving temperature up to two hours. The serving temperature varies depending on the type of food served.
There are several drawback to the prior art banquet cart. For one, the open flame of the canned heat is exposed, creating a fire hazard. If the banquet cart is accidentally knocked over, a fire can occur. The canned heat also takes up the entire bottom shelf, reducing the space available for plates of food. Lighting and loading of the canned heat into the banquet cart also requires additional labor. Additionally, the area proximate to the canned heat is warmer than the other areas of the banquet cart, which can cause the plates of food positioned around the canned heat to overcook and burn. Finally, canned heat is expensive, and large hotels can spend up to $100,000 per year on canned heat.
Hence, there is a need in the art for a banquet cart which does not use canned heat and overcomes the problems of the prior art.